Test Economy Questions

[Kiel]

Will it mess with the economy if I keep putting up items on the broker for 1c? Also, is it considered poor taste or exploiting to use some of the items that were copied over from Shidreth to have stuff made for my test toons?

As I reread those questions, it almost sounds stupid. But, I am seriously asking.

EDIT: Mostly I have just been putting up Vielthread cause I have a metric crapload of it. I figured I'd be helping some crafters out there, until this question popped into my head.

[Mardy]

lol it's fine, the test server is there to test the patches, people won't get mad at you for putting stuff on the broker for cheap

[Ysharros]

I did the same with stuff I had way too much of, and stuff that was ported over from Shidreth I figured other folks might want. Some things I put up at more "ordinary" prices, like bags and whatnot, for two reasons - first because 2s for a bag doesn't seem particularly steep to me (and I'm a tightwad) so is affordable while still giving folks the impression they actually spent something, and secondly because we occasionally get folks coming in, snapping up everything that's cheap, and relisting it for stupid money. To be honest I doubt pricing at 2s instead of 1c will stop folks like that, but the other course is to start pricing like live and that to me is no option at all.

Anyway, price in a way that makes you comfortable. Someone pointed out one day that people do somehow like to feel they've spent money on stuff, that it adds to the feeling of achievement - I pooh-poohed it at the time, but I think to an extent it's true. The threshold varies for different people but it's still broadly true for most. I try to price so that people feel it's costing something, even if it's not costing much. Resources, however, are a different issue on Test where we could use all the crafters we can get, and I tend to throw those up for coppers too.

Any Test economy question is a tough one right now, because there isn't one, really. The incoming server copies will make things interesting but while I think we'll see a few ridiculous pricings, I believe we'll see far more stuff being flung on the broker for pennies. "Visiting" server-copy folks seem to be shocked when they discover how small and primitive self-reliant Test server is - and seeing the size of the pop is usually enough to show most people why there a) isn't anything on the broker and b) prices range from 1c to the 1p items that have been there for months.

Ideally, I guess I'd like to see a smaller-scale "normal" economy on Test someday, but that depends largely on having enough players to sustain one. When all I see on a regular basis is 10-20 people, I tend to trade directly with them for what I need or what they want because it's easier. When we get to 30, 40 or more people, using the broker will become more of a sensible option. I'm trying to remember to use it a little more right now because we *do* have new folks incoming (which is great ) and they don't always dare or want to ask on test channel, or know what the "etiquette" is for such requests. (Personally, I don't mind making common stuff for anyone for free. I do like help with resources, and I most certainly would want help with rares. I need reminding quite often, too.)

More than you asked, probably - I'm hungry, food is an hour away, and thus I ramble.

[Kiel]

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any 'unwritten' rules. all 30 stacks of VT have sold already lol.

I saw a few things on the broker that were (what we called in EQ2) "Crack Prices". lol saw a lv35 common drop for 4g and it was vendor trash. Makes me wonder if the gold sellers actually take the time to farm gold on test LMAO.

Anyway, Thanks again for the replies.

P.S. This is soo flippin cool that we got to copy our toons over to test some stuff out.

[magusfire24]

Originally Posted by Kiel

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any 'unwritten' rules. all 30 stacks of VT have sold already lol.

I saw a few things on the broker that were (what we called in EQ2) "Crack Prices". lol saw a lv35 common drop for 4g and it was vendor trash. Makes me wonder if the gold sellers actually take the time to farm gold on test LMAO.

Anyway, Thanks again for the replies.

P.S. This is soo flippin cool that we got to copy our toons over to test some stuff out.

yeah you are fine. the test server doesnt really have a money driven community from what I have seen. most people on test just trade stuff with each other that they dont need. we are a small knit community that is there to help each other to best test out the new content.

welcome to test Kiel!